Thika MP Alice Nga’ng’a has urged the police to be humane as they get rid of commercial sex workers and street children from Thika streets.
The MP says that she has received complains that police officers are allegedly harassing and victimizing street children and sex workers in the ongoing crackdown to get them out of Thika streets.
While condemning the alleged brutality on commercial sex workers and street children, the MP said that police have no right to harass the groups.
“Let the police conduct their crackdown in a human manner as they get rid of the groups from the streets,” she said on Monday.
She alleged that some officers were beating the sex workers in the crackdown.
The MP at the same time asked the government to provide alternative source of income to commercial set workers who are being chased out of the streets.
She stated that getting rid of them will not help unless alternative source of income is provided to them.
“The government needs to come with programmes that will empower sex workers and street children,” she added during a leader’s forum organized by the Thika Sub County security officials on Monday.
A crackdown launched by the Thika Sub County Deputy Commissioner Mr Tom Anjere to get rid of street children and commercial sex workers has been ongoing for the last two months.
While reacting to the claims by the MP, Mr Anjere refuted the claims that police were harassing commercial sex workers in the ongoing crackdown.
He indicated that the officers involved in the crackdown are conducting the exercise within the confines of the law.
Mr Anjere said that the crackdown will continue until when all commercial sex workers are chased out of the Thika town streets.